Indian envoy to UAE says delay in issuing of passports to end soon

India's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), T.P. Seetharam, has said that the mission is taking steps to end the delay in the giving of passports by requisitioning more passport booklets.

Ambassador Seetharam told the Gulf News that he was in touch with the concerned officials in New Delhi on the matter, and expected the problem to be resolved soon.

Indian missions in the UAE used to issue between 1,100 and 1200 passports a day, but shortage of booklets in India has caused delays in passport issuance and renewal.

Between 260,000 and 290,000 passports are issued every year. The shortage of lamination papers at the Indian Security Press (ISP) in Nasik, where passports are printed, has caused the problem.

The Indian Embassy had earlier estimated that delays might continue till the end of July, but the latest feedback from India suggests an early resolution to the problem.

Ordinary passports cost Dh285 while jumbo passports cost Dh380.

Ambassador Seetharam said BLS International, the outsourcing agency that handles Indian passport issuance and renewal, will continue to accept applications.